Influencing irrigation policy in India A Success Story www.iwmi.cgiar.org/Publications/Success_Stories/index.aspx

1. Influencing irrigation policy in India A Success Story www.iwmi.org www.iwmi.cgiar.org/Publications/Success_Stories/index.aspx

2. Irrigation has been crucial to Indian agriculture for millennia Photo: Sharni Jayawardena

3. Photo: Sharni Jayawardena Irrigation has been crucial to Indian agriculture for millennia but…

4. ...in the past 40 years, Indian irrigation has faced unprecedented challenges Photo: Sharni Jayawardena Photo: Sharni Jayawardena Photo: Sharni Jayawardena

5. A new trend... Infrastructure and management of large-scale irrigation schemes have deteriorated Photo: Sanjini De Silva Farmers are growing a wider range of crops than the old staples of rice and wheat Photo: Sanjini De Silva

6. In need of more flexible irrigation, Indian farmers are taking water supply into their own hands Photo: IWMI Now, millions of farmers are pumping groundwater when and where they choose

7. Groundwater is now the main water source for most of India’s farming areas outside large canal commands Growth in groundwater use in selected countries India Cubic km/year Source: Shah, T. (2009). Taming the Anarchy: Groundwater Governance in South Asia. Washington D.C.: RFF press. Supplies are shrinking fast

8. Research into action The IWMI-Tata Water Policy Program began in 2000 Photo: Sharni Jayawardena

9. Photo: Sharni Jayawardena The mission: face the new realities of groundwater use and revitalize irrigation

10. Photo: IWMI The question: how can India integrate centrally managed irrigation systems with the new trend for intensive groundwater use?

11. The work of IWMI and its partners spans the globe Their research allows IWMI to contribute to the work of Indian practitioners and policymakers

12. Photo: Sharni Jayawardena As a result, groundwater use – which supports more than 80% of India’s irrigated agriculture – has become central to the irrigation debate

13. The responseUS$400 million from the Indian Government…...for well recharge projects in 100 districts in 7 states where water stored in hard-rock aquifers had been overexploited

14. The money will fund 7 million structures to divert monsoonal runoff and help farmers purchase equipment Photo: Sanjini De Silva The diversion structures include desiltation chambers and pipes to collect surplus rainwater

15. Photo: Sharni Jayawardena Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Gujarat are already using the fund to implement groundwater recharge programs

17. Basin Focal Project for the Indus-Gangetic Basin

19. Research is helping policymakers to develop effective groundwater management policies, such as the Punjab Preservation of Sub-Soil Water Act 2009… ...which has helpedcut groundwater use by 7% annually Photo: IRRI

20. How does the Act save water in Punjab? Simply by having farmers delay paddy transplanting until after the 10th of June Waiting until then avoids the extremely high evaporation of early summer Photo: IRRI

21. 2,180 million cubic meters of water This is what IWMI estimates can be saved through this one policy – almost 1 million Olympic swimming pools

22. Photo: Ian Burt As well as saving 175 million kilowatt-hours of energy used for pumping – equivalent to more than 100,000 barrels of oil

23. What next? The Planning Commission of India has invited IWMI scientists to write a paper on the future of government irrigation projects, as well as chair a working group that will design strategies for large irrigation systems in India’s 12th Five-Year Plan

24. IWMI will also examine how to rationalize the Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Program – the vehicle through which the central government provides funds to states for irrigation development Photo: IRRI

25. The IWMI-Tata Water Policy Program is supported by the Sir Ratan Tata Trust. Collaborators Indian Council of Agricultural Research State irrigation departments Agricultural universities Non-governmental organizations

26. For more information IWMI report Groundwater Governance in the Indo-Gangetic and Yellow River Basins: Realities and Challenges http://tinyurl.com/2f2zvk3 All IWMI publications are available online free of charge at www.iwmi.org/Publications Improving the management of land and water resources for food, livelihoods and the environment